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Caoinfhulaingt agus neamh-fhoréigean a chur chun cinn trí ealaín - ainmniúchán duais #UNESCO

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Úsáidimid do shíniú suas chun ábhar a sholáthar ar bhealaí ar thoiligh tú leo agus chun ár dtuiscint ortsa a fheabhsú. Is féidir leat díliostáil ag am ar bith.

“Tolerance is an act of humanity, which we must nurture and enact each in our own lives every day, to rejoice in the diversity that makes us strong and the values that bring us together."

Those are the words of former French culture minister Audrey Azoulay but they could also directly refer to the renowned Kazak citizen Karipbek Kuyukov who has devoted his life to protecting humankind from what he calls a “nuclear nightmare.”

Karipbek Kuyukov

An accomplished artist, there is another particularly distinguishing feature about this impressive human being: he was born without arms as a result of nuclear radiation exposure.

Even so, that terrible disability has proved no handicap to the 45-year-old producing some highly commendable and lauded art whose works have been shown around the world.

Taispeántas: Nuclear Airm Testing - the Art of Truth

These two accomplishments – his devotion to communal harmony and peace plus a determination to extract every last ounce of his wonderful talent – have now been honoured with his nomination as a candidate for the highly prestige 2018 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence.

Aiseolas

"First explosion"

The honorary ambassador of the ATOM Project, Karipbek has devoted his life and art to making sure that no one – and nowhere – else suffers the devastating effects of nuclear weapons testing.

His is a fitting nomination as the purpose of the award is to reward individuals, institutions and other entities or non-governmental organizations that have made exceptional contributions and demonstrated leadership in the promotion of tolerance and non-violence.

The Prize was established in 1995 on the occasion of the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. It was also the year when UNESCO member states adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.

In recognition of a lifelong devotion to communal harmony and peace, the Prize bears the name of its benefactor Madanjeet Singh, who was a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Indian artist, writer and diplomat

Awarded every two years, on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance (16 November), the winner stands to win US$ 100,000.

Karipbek Kuyukov with President Nursultan Nazarbayev

Karipbek’s story is a particularly moving one that began  in the village of his birth which was located just 100 kilometres away from the Semipalatinsk, the former Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons test site. It was from here that the Soviet Union conducted more than 450 nuclear weapons tests.

Those tests exposed his parents to radiation and resulted in Karipbek being born without arms.

 

Despite this, Karipbek has overcome many obstacles to become an anti-nuclear weapons activist and renowned artist, often painting portraits of the victims of nuclear testing and speaking out against nuclear weapons at conferences and events.

Karipbek offered an insight into his own struggles and motivation when he addressed the international conference “From a Nuclear Test Ban to a Nuclear-weapons-free world” in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan last August.

"Fear"

Karipbek said, “This land is sacred to me not only because it is my motherland, but also because my forefathers were born here and lived there. For me, it is the most beautiful land in Kazakhstan.”

He recalled how his parents would climb on the hill to better see the nuclear mushrooms, although they were instructed to lie down on the ground and cover themselves.

“The people who lived in Semipalatinsk at the time,” he recounts, “came out of their homes during the explosions to watch them. They didn’t even know about the health threats and devastating consequences of the crimes being committed against them.

“I remember the armoires shaking, and the rattling of dishes, the announcements on the radio which would inform us about additional “peaceful nuclear explosions.”

Those nuclear tests brought to a humanitarian disaster and Karipbek shows through his paintings that every person has a right to be aware of the consequences of the nuclear race.

“My father was of course seriously worried about my future and very concerned about how I would live without arms.”

He was fitted prosthetic arms but admits to never being able to get used to them. Having loved to draw since childhood, he took up art, remembering  “I do not know why, but my soul was striving toward creating something beautiful. I did this without arms, but with my feet, legs and mouth. I have become an artist, because an artist’s soul cannot be diminished by a physical limitation.”

"Last moan"

Karipbek’s art and his devotion to what he does promotes tolerance which recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse, be it racial diversity or physical, and tolerance makes it possible to live in peace and harmony.

Karipbek, in his speech, said he has been to many countries where people have suffered from living under the shadow of nuclear tests, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“I have seen sick mothers, and children — hidden by mothers uncomfortable with showing their children to other people. I have seen the effects of the great calamities that have damaged our planet.”

People worldwide are aware about Kazakhstan and its “unprecedented” peace-making initiatives, he says.

 

He told the Astana audience, “Exactly 21 year ago, thanks to my president, the Semipalatinsk test site was closed. I am proud to live in Kazakhstan, the first country to abandon nuclear madness and to serve as a worthy example for other powers which continue the weapons race.”

It was thanks to President Nazarbayev’s decision that he was encouraged to contribute towards and fight to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

"Féinphortráid"

He said, “My main mission on this land is to do everything I can for people like me to be the last victims of nuclear tests. I will continue to call on all the humankind to preserve security on the planet until my heart stops.”

Humanity, he believes, has a choice: to be passive and allow heads of states solve the issue or unite and defend citizenship and human rights.

“I made my choice – I support The ATOM Project, whose aim is to unite common efforts in the struggle against nuclear weapons tests and I call on every single person to be active in building a future free from nuclear explosions.”

Karipbek says the common goal should be “to protect mankind from the nuclear nightmare.”

As someone who personally knows all too well about the terrible grief and hardship the dangerous nuclear weapons race brings, there can surely be no-one better placed to deliver the message: “Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Help us stop nuclear weapons testing around the world.”

The closing date for submissions for the UNESCO prize is 30 April and Karipbek is already seen as a leading candidate.

 

Comhroinn an t-alt seo:

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